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Innovative Marine Aquariums

Easy Refugium Fuge Light for the Nano Cube


steelhealr

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Hi......someone cruised into my 24G thread (Roc510) and alerted me to a DIY posted by Bobalouy on how to create a fuge light for a Nano Cube. When I saw it, I couldn't believe how ridiculously simple it was to do and it appears that this DIY can easily end the need for re-wiring, LED lights and heat issues. I had to give it a try.

 

First off, let me say that this was NOT my idea; NOT my DIY. I first noted it on Bobalouy's thread. This mod has been used by trumph, diverkk and shao-lin nano. Chris at nanocustoms stated that Matt Gecko used it first. Indeed, he has a post of it dated about March '05 I believe. However, it didn't seem well documented by photos, so, I'm trying to do this up right for newcomers. Here goes, it's easy:

 

1) Get a razor blade and score a rectangle over the borders of the rear chamber from the back:

 

fuge1.jpg

 

2) Being careful not to cut your fingers or the wire, simply peel back the thin vinyl layer on the back of the cube's wall:

 

fuge2.jpg

 

3) Complete a square over the area. Here, you can see my chaeto which has done well under my submersible 10 watt halogen bulb:

 

fuge3.jpg

 

4) I chose to try out Bobalouy's recommendation, a small Palm Light that you can buy from Drs. Foster and Smith. I'll keep my other light going to be safe that there is no die off:

 

fuge4.jpg

 

5) The light actually clips easily onto the wires leading down from the cube's hood and adjusts easily with a goose neck:

 

fuge5.jpg

 

It appears that you can use any type of PC back there if the Palm doesn't do well for you. Well..here goes. Time to get a bigger power strip. SH

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Thanks for the easy-to-read, step-by-step post. You're almost making this too easy.

 

That does look like a really easy way to light up a fuge. I plan on doing this mod as soon as I can get a light. That palm light with the gooseneck looks like it will work well.

 

Keep us updated on how much your chaeto is growing with your new mod.

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Cool man, It really can't get much easier. I would recomend removing the the vinyl all the way to the bottom, unless you dont want the cheato to grow all the way down there. I did it half way to start, and the cheato stoped right at the line.

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Great thread...so simple it kills me to think about it. Don't laugh..we should have DIY's of the year. I'd vote for this one...just too simple and brings to close an area of frustration, drilling, wiring...and..makes it immediately available to ALL nano cube owners. SH

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Don't you typically run a fuge llight opposite of your day cycle?

 

If so how much bleed over is there looking from the front of the tank?

 

ANybody have a pic??

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Well....it works fine and I don't see how cutting a pane of vinyl off the back will make it any messier than SW drippings and saltkreep.

 

As for spillover....none into the main tank from inside. HOWEVER, the light behind the tank DOES create a glow from the back which makes it a bit more difficult for the eye to see into the tank (distraction). I am experimenting with some aluminum foil to create a reflector and reduce the light from the back. Personally tho', doesn't bother me...just happier that the fuge lighting is simpler. SH

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Yea, I did this mod two nights ago, and yesterday figured out which lighting solution to use. I purchased a 150w halogen lamp that I was going to mount on a "Ghetto 5g Bucket Fuge", but I'm kind of tired of tinkering with the no-spill bucket fuge, so I just tore up my tank last night and did this.

 

I tried originally with the 150w, and I suspended it from two small holes that I drilled into the hood, using standard shrouded copper wiring to suspend it. The only problem that I had with that, wasn't heat, but was finding something to keep the light backed off from the tank. The only thing that I could use (or could afford to use for that matter) was spare vinyl tubing , stacked, glued on to the sides of the light's case. Only problem is that it kept melting, and making the lamp slide down and bang against the back glass.

 

Now I'm running a 50w halogen desk lamp that my mom bought me for my dorm. She thought that I would need a second one for my desk, but I don't, so now it's leaning allll the way over to the back of my cube.

 

Now I'm really kicking myself though, because I wanted to put a fission skimmer back there, but now I can't, and I'm guessing that you cant use the nanoskim in the first chamber. If you could, it would be awesome, but we'll see.

 

Either way, great mod, and I'm hoping that my caulerpa is growing fine. I can't really see, because there is just enough room between the back of the tank and the wall that the light can slip behind there, and I don't have a flashlight to look from the top.

 

I also had to put a sponge back into the tank to hold the caulerpa down, because otherwise it would keep blowing over the top of 2nd chamber and getting stuck in the bottom of chamber 3. And I hate fishing stuff out of the back chambers, since my hands always come out itching from the friggin aiptasia back there. Those bastards.

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I did this mod 10 days ago with this light (http://doityourselfwarehouse.com/9697590.htm)

I got it from lowes not the web site. Since doing my chaeto has doubled in size, best easy mod by far. Here is a pic, it is twelve inches long and illuminates my entire 2 chamber. You can see it setting behing the cube.

 

I saw something similar at a lighting show room last weekend. Also an under cabinet light but it use a small halogen bulb and had a 4" x 2 1/2" lighted area. Just right to illuminate the top portion of the 2nd chamber.

 

Instead, I used an old halogen desk lamp that my wife hates but I didn't want to throw out because I knew I would find a use for it. After a bit of persuasion I got the neck to bend so it illuminates the opening I cut in the vinyl on the back of the tank. It's only been a few days but I'm optimistic this will work for me.

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You know, I originally ran my fuge with a submersible fuge light which was halogen (as you can see in the pix above). I had some success and posted it, but, I think the chaeto is doing better with PC. Halogen light is yellowish in color and runs a spectrum of about 3200K from what I could learn. It's been posted that it is low for photosynthesis. SH

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I did my tank maintenance tonite. The chaeto has doubled in size and has a much greener color. I'm abandoning my submersible quartz halogen light....did it's job well. This mod was the best. SH

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I just "installed" my palm light yesterday. Easy as pie...

 

I think my chaeto has already grown. Thanks pookstreet for the chaeto...

 

This mod is great

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  • 2 weeks later...
shao-lin nano

You can do it in any chamber. But think it through before you do. Other chambers usually house pumps or equipment that you don't want to bury under LR rubble or get macro alge such as chaeto all in the pump.

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You can do it in any chamber. But think it through before you do. Other chambers usually house pumps or equipment that you don't want to bury under LR rubble or get macro alge such as chaeto all in the pump.

 

So I don't get the part after the chamber. Can you explain to me?

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